Who Sent Back the Holy Ghost?

Hi Pastor John,

I have a question.  After Jesus died, rose again, ascended to the Father, and made His sacrifice to the Father, that meant the holy Ghost could be sent to us.  But, who sent it?  Jesus or the Father?

Thank you,

Jenny

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Hi Jenny, 

Thanks for the question.

Jesus said this, in John 14:26: “the comforter, the holy Spirit which the Father will send in my name”.  And he also said, this in John 15:26: “when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which comes out from the Father’’.

So, the picture we get is that Jesus obtained the Spirit from the Father for us, as well as permission to pass it on to us, which is what Peter said on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:33: “being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the holy Spirit, he [Jesus] has shed forth this which you yourselves now see and hear.”

The Father is the source of it all (Jesus said he himself came from the Father), but Jesus is the means by which the Father sends all things to us.

Thank you again for the question.

Pastor John

 

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You Can Find Me in Your Past

Bro. John:

I just listened to “You Can Find Me in Your Past” that you sent out this a.m. with the message, “it’s not hard-seeking, but heart-seeking”.  As I listened to the words over and over, I wept.  I realized something for the first time from remembering my experience with Jesus in 2006.  That “past” is not the old past, but the NEW past where you find him!  When Jesus took me down that path (past) in Solomon, the feelings of Jesus and me were in the NEW past he had created in me – – that’s where we fell in love again as he awakened his feelings of love in me!  The memories are in the NEW past!  I had always connected the “past” in that song with the old past, but realized as I listened this a.m. it was the beautiful path of the memories in the NEW past where my feelings in Jesus were awakened!  Praise Jesus!  That song means so much more to me now.  Strolling with Jesus hand-in-hand – – no better life exists than that!

What a sweet morning remembering again Jesus created for us a NEW past in the holy Ghost.  That’s where he lives and together that’s where we LIVE!  I am full this morning . . . .

So very thankful for his love,

Sandy ~ ~

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Feeling Thankful

Good morning,

I am sitting here thinking about yesterday’s meeting, and the lesson we learned that anything we know about the Father must be revealed to us through the Spirit.  You told us, “Nothing about God or His Son is true, except what is revealed!  God and His Son are completely unknown without a revelation”.  Wow!  That statement is a revelation!

As we were talking about these good things around the fire this morning, I was thinking about the men in Christianity who call themselves a pastor, and how most of them stood in their pulpits yesterday preaching about something that had not been revealed to them.  The fact is, they were preaching about another god. 

Then, I thought about our experience yesterday.  You said, “We don’t feast on human thoughts.  We feast on revelation!”  These valuable lessons we have been learning from Matthew are a revelation from God, and each time we have gotten together has felt like sitting down to a big feast!  You have said that you never know which way Jesus is going to take you with this Matthew study.  I love that because it means the Spirit is leading the way, and it’s been wonderful!

Jesus has been so good to condescend to teach us and help us.  We should be the happiest, most united body on the planet!  Unite us, Lord, and help us to take in and love what you are revealing to us!

Lee Ann

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We Can Love Anyway

Pastor John,

I was thinking this morning about how we can know that someone is wrong about Jesus (because of what He has revealed to us—only), but we love them, really love them, and not a bit less for their thoughts—and maybe have more compassion for them than we would, because they need the same help we received.

Yet people can believe we are wrong, and they despise us for it.  Even if they once loved us and know how we conduct ourselves.

What a difference there is in the Spirit that Jesus gives versus other spirits that people take in and call God.

One of the things that gave me such confidence in the truth, in the beginning, is that it makes the people who are in it the most willing of people to be wrong and to change.

The truth makes you go lower as you go ahead; it doesn’t puff you up.  And you soon stop trying to defend it, and begin walking in the knowledge that in God’s mercy, it is defending you from a world full of people that might otherwise do you harm.

I think it is a good sign when your heart is looking for the next thing that can be fixed or changed inside—looking for the next thought to abandon to trade for Jesus’s thoughts.  I don’t think you can get too far off track if you feel that way.

It sure has been sweet the last two times we got together to read.

Jerry D.

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Exodus 4:24

Pastor John,

In Exodus 4:24 is the Lord saying he’s going to kill Moses or who?

Donna C.

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Hi, Donna.

As you know, the Bible is unclear as to which one God intended to kill.  The argument could be made that it was Moses’ son, since for Moses to bring an uncircumcised son into the camp of the Israelites would have been a disgrace. But it could also be argued that it was Moses, since he had failed to keep the sacred tradition handed down from Abraham.

We can’t know the answer with absolute certainty, but we do know that the problem was solved by circumcising the boy, for God didn’t kill either of them after that.

Pastor John

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Revelation 3:20

Pastor John,

When I woke up this morning, I strongly felt pressure to read Revelation 3:20.  I haven’t read Revelation in years.  So I just want to be still now and hopefully sup a little with Jesus.

20. Behold, I have been standing at the door, and I am knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter in to him and dine with him, and he with me.

Jimmy T.

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Sunday’s Meeting – October 31, 2021

Pastor John,

Wow.   Jesus is so kind.  I pray he helps me be more like him.  Here are just some of the things that I know he did for us yesterday:

Haskell got so touched the first time we sang “Press Along.”  That really touched me.

“To join once more those gone before,

Press along to Glory-land;

With saints to sing before the King,

Press along to Glory-land. “

While singing this line yesterday, Papa popped in my mind and this overwhelming love filled me. Tears came flooding down my face. I want to see him again.  He is often in my dreams, and I feel close to him then.

Sometime last week, Hannah and I were in the car talking about songs that have two groups of singers that start at two different times (I can’t remember why) like something they would have sung in elementary school before we home schooled.  I mentioned “Row, row, row your boat.” She had never sung or heard a song like that before.

Being prayed for by Pastor John.  I was so thankful for that and felt that prayer.

HOPE

DANIEL

Seeing and feeling Betty being blessed yesterday.  I’m thankful we have fellowship with Betty and can share this with her.  There was a time when we could only tell it to her.

Thank you all for being there, loving us all and sharing it all with us. 

Thank you, Jesus.

Love,

Cris

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